Published on Jul 23, 2020
The Cudighi Record label in Los Angeles in quickly becoming one of the most exciting labels in the world of indie rock and iconoclastic pop ideas. With a handful of stunning artists that cover most places on the globe, each release brings us unexpected and easily enjoyable sounds that vary from indie-pop to outsider electronica to neo-psychedelia and much more.
Here, we're treated to 16 outfits from their roster, where music from Japan, Norway, Estonia, and several other countries come together on a cassette where you probably won't recognize many, if any, names, but will likely be seeking out more information afterwards.
Spencer Bible's “Silvia” starts the listen with a spacey intro before entering soulful pop sounds with silky smooth vocals and a lively beat. “Cabo Boing” keeps the fun going with a dive into experimental territory where countless electronic sounds unfold like a video game in another dimension.
The listen only gets more varied from here, with the quick paced, fluent indie rock of Al Marantz's “Frozen In Time” as well as the shimmering pop influences of “Boutique Batique” by Elias Krantz. Mart Avi's “Soul ReaVer” is among the best, though, as a dreamy setting meets falsetto singing alongside a busy background of psyche-pop exploration.
Deeper into the listen, Luurel Varas takes us into darker territory with the mysterious and driving electro-pop of “Madis” and the playful bleeps and New Wave nods of ZigZag Zone's “Mozer,” which sits firmly planted in the '80s in all the best ways. Woo's soothing, meditative “A Little Long Way” exits the listen, and even at 16 tracks total, its likely you'll want to hear more.
A very colorful, sometimes quirky, and always unpredictable collection, the cassette is limited and comes with a download code, but this really is worth getting your tape deck out of the attic for.